Sierra Nevada Acquires Sufferfest Beer Company

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. today announced the purchase of Sufferfest Beer Company of San Francisco, CA. In the company’s first-ever acquisition, Sierra Nevada will buy 100% of Sufferfest.

“While still in its infancy, Sufferfest is at the front of the wave of ‘functional’ alcoholic beverages,” says Sierra Nevada President and CEO Jeff White. “By joining with Sierra Nevada, Sufferfest will be better positioned to grow and continue to lead the way in a rapidly growing and highly competitive space.”

Sufferfest, which launched in 2016, aims for active-lifestyle consumers with its gluten-removed line of beers like its 95-calorie Kolsch brewed with bee pollen, and its FKT (Fastest Known Time) Pale Ale brewed with salt and black currant.

“The complementary nature of our offerings and their position at the cusp of this emerging category are not the only reasons Sufferfest made sense,” says White. “From the moment we met, it was clear that our two companies are deeply aligned in our values and our commitment to do the right thing.”

Sufferfest is a Certified B Corporation. Founder and CEO Caitlin Landesberg, a long-distance trail runner, started the company with a vision to create post-sweat beers.

“I’ve always craved a beer after a race, but when I couldn’t find a beer that agreed with my dietary and performance needs, it left a genuine void in the post-race social experience,” says Landesberg. “The finish line is where we get to celebrate the ail, anguish and suffering we’ve all been through together. I so wanted to continue to be part of this occasion, but didn’t want to keep compromising on taste or ingredients.”

“Sierra Nevada is the perfect fit,” expladdsained Landesberg. “If it were any other company, this would not be a consideration for us. Sierra Nevada is a family-owned and operated business that isn’t driven by shareholder pressure to meet quarterly numbers,” she continued. “I’ve always been so impressed by their commitment to the communities they serve. They are really driven by their own north star.”